Syringe guide and indicator

ABSTRACT

An improved guide is provided for use with hypodermic syringes so as to facilitate the loading of the syringe from a bottle containing a drug, medicine, or other liquid. The improved guide has utility for both sighted and blind persons, since it permits the syringe to be held in proper relationship with the neck of the bottle containing the liquid, and since it serves to guide the needle part of the syringe through the cap and into the bottle a proper distance so as to assure the correct dosage. The guide may also include an adjustable stop member which serves to limit the loading stroke of the plunger part of the syringe so that a predetermined amount of the liquid is drawn into the syringe without the need for the careful reading of scales, calibrations or the like.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Romeo LeMarie 400 South Bullis Road,Compton, Calif. 90221 [21] App]. No. 850,465

[22] Filed Aug. 15, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 5, 1971 [54] SYRINGE GUIDEAND INDICATOR 2,943,624 7/1960 Alquist 128/218 (C) 2,952,255 9/1960Hein, Jr. 128/218 (C) 3,076,455 2/1963 McConnaughey et al. 128/272 XFOREIGN PATENTS 1,063,341 8/1959 Germany 128/218 (M) PrimaryExaminer-Joseph S. Reich Atzorneylessup & Beecher ABSTRACT: An improvedguide is provided for use with hypodermic syringes so as to facilitatethe loading of the syringe from a bottle containing a drug, medicine, orother liquid. The improved guide has utility for both sighted and blindpersons, since it permits the syringe to be held in proper relationshipwith the neck of the bottle containing the liquid, and since it servesto guide the needle part of the syringe through the cap and into thebottle a proper distance so as to assure the correct dosage. The guidemay also include an adjustable stop member which serves to limit theloading stroke of the plunger part of the syringe so that apredetermined amount of the liquid is drawn into the syringe without theneed for the careful reading of scales, calibrations or the like.

PATEMEBUEI 5m: 3,610,241

sum 2 OF 2 1&1

MUM

MA. M

SYRINGE GUIDE AND INDICATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is oftendifficult for both sighted and blind persons to use hypodermic syringesof the usual prior art type. Even nurses or other trained personnel findthe administration of drugs by a hypodermic syringe to be a somewhatpainstaking operation, since in each instance, they must be sure thatthe proper dose is drawn into the syringe, and this is usuallyascertained by the careful reading of scales and calibrations on thewall of the barrel part of the syringe. The task of self-administrationof drugs in correct dosages is almost impossible for blind persons, yeta large number of the blind suffer from ailments and diseases, such asdiabetes, which require periodic hypodermic injections of insulin, andthe like.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedguide which may be used in conjunction with standard hypodermicsyringes, and with the standard sealed bottles containing the liquids tobe administered by such syringes. The guide of the invention serves tohold the hypodermic syringe and the bottle in a firm and properlyaligned relationship so as to enable the hypodermic needle to be piercedthrough the sealed cap of the bottle, and inserted into the neck of thebottle the proper distance to assure that a full dosage is drawn intothe syringe from the bottle, even though the contents may not actuallybe observed. The guide also may include an adjustable limit stop, asmentioned above, so that the amount of liquid drawn into the barrel ofthe syringe may be precisely predetermined. For example, this stop maybe set initially at a particular setting, and then without any furtherreading, the correct dosage may be drawn into the barrel of the syringeeach subsequent time the assembly is used.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an improved guidewhich is simple and inexpensive in its construction, and which is easyto use. The guide of the invention is light and does not add in anymeasurable way to the weight of the syringe and bottle. Moreover, theguide is constructed so that it in no way interferes with the ease ofoperation of the syringe. Also, both the bottle and the syringe mayeasily be removed from the guide after each use and disposed of, and theguide may be retained for subsequent use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A guide for a hypodermic syringe is providedwhich may be attached to the neck of a standard drug bottle and whichholds the bottle and a standard syringe in proper aligned relationshipwith one another. The guide serves to permit the hypodermic needle ofthe syringe to be easily inserted through the cap of the bottle and intothe bottle by a proper amount so that a full dosage is assured. Inaddition, the guide may incorporate an adjustable stop which may beinitially set, and thereafter predetermines the amount of liquid whichis to be drawn into the barrel of the syringe for each subsequent use ofthe guide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspectiverepresentation of one embodiment of the guide of the invention, and of ahypodermic syringe and bottle which may be supported by the guide,

FIG. 2 is an elevational representation of the guide, syringe andbottle, including a side sectional view of the guide, showing thesyringe and bottle in place, with the bottle being shown as partiallybroken away to illustrate more clearly the manner in which the syringepierces the cap of the bottle and enters the neck thereof FIG. 3 is aexploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention, andshowing one of the components thereof removed from the central bodyportion; and FIG. 3A is a perspective representation of a modified formof guide of the invention; and

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are side elevational views showing the variouspositions in the use of the embodiment of FIG. 3 in conjunction with ahypodermic syringe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS The guide shown inFIG. 1 includes an elongated trough like body portion 10 which isadapted to receive a standard syringe 12 in coaxial relationship. Thestandard syringe 12 includes a barrel l2aand a hypodermic needle 12b,and it also includes a plunger l2cwhich extends into the barrel, andwhich may be moved axially with respect to the barrel by means of anactuating knob 12d. The barrel l2aalso includes a peripheral flangel2e,all of the aforesaid components being standard parts of a usualpresent day hypodermic syringe.

The body portion 10 has an integral end portion l0aat the end to theright in FIG. 1, and the end portion 10a defines a transverse channelwhich receives the flange 12eas best shown in FIG. 2, so as to supportthe syringe 12 in the body portion 10. The syringe is so supported in areadily removable manner, but against any longitudinal movement withinthe body portion due to the channel formed by the end portion 100, andagainst radial movement by the configuration of the body portion 10itself.

The troughlike body portion 10 has a second end portion at the oppositeend thereof, and this second end portion 10bdefines a diametricallyenlarged cavity for receiving the head of a bottle 14, and for holdingthe bottle firmly and securely in, for example, a press friction fit.However, as was the case with the syringe 12, a bottle 14 may be readilyremoved from the guide, when so desired.

The bottle 14 may be of the type usually provided for containing drugs,and the like. It includes on its head a metal cap with a centralopening, and a rubber diaphragm sealing the opening. The diaphragm ispierced by the hypodermic needle 12b, and the contents of the bottle maythen be drawn into the barrel l2aof the hypodermic syringe 12.

It will be appreciated that the guide described above provides a simpleand expeditious means for supporting the bottle 14 and the syringe 12 inan aligned manner, so that the needle 12dmay be inserted into the bottle14, merely by moving the plunger l2cdown into the barrel 12a. Also, thebottle any syringe are held at predetermined spaced positions by theguide, so that the needle l2dextends the proper distance into the bottlel4, and not too far, so as to assure a full dosage when the syringe isloaded.

The guide 10 described above may be formed by a simple molding operationof any appropriate plastic material, with the end portions l0aandl0bformed integral with the central trough like portion. Theother'guides to be described herein may also be formed of appropriateplastic.

For example, the guide 20 of FIG. 3 includes a U-shaped body portionhaving resilient characteristics, and which is transversely slotted toreceive the flange l2eof the hypodermic syringe 12, as shown in FIGS.4A, 4B and 4C. The guide 20 also includes a slotted bore 21 whichreceives a rod like stop member 22. The rod like stop member 22 isslidable in the bore 21. The stop member 22 may be moved axially in thebore 21, and yet it is supported in a relatively close press fit by thebody portion.

The rod like stop member may include a plurality of peripheral grooves22a, for the convenience of blind persons, and these grooves contact aperipheral ridge of conventional form within the bore 21. Then, as thestop member 22 is moved back and forth in the bore 21 to a presetposition, the axial movement thereof may be determined by the clieking"action between the ridge and the successive grooves 22a.

For the sighted person, the guide may take the form shown in FIG. 3A inwhich it is designated 20a. The guide 200 is similar to the guide 20except that the bore 21ais not slotted and a setscrew 23 is provided.For the latter guide, the stop member 22 is not grooved, and it may belocked in any position by the sighted person, merely by tightening thesetscrew 23.

The rod like stop member 22 has a radially extending and portion 22batits free end. As shown, for example, in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, the stopmember 22 may be withdrawn from the body portion to any desired setting(as set by the selected groove in FIG. 3 or as locked by the set screw23 in F IG. 3A), and then turned so that its end portion 22bacts as astop for the actuating knob l2dof the plunger 12cof the syringe 12.

The first step in the procedure, as shown in FIG. 4A, is to move theplunger down into the barrel l2aof the syringe 12, so that thehypodermic needle 12b may pierce the cap and enter the neck of theassociated bottle (not shown). Then, the plunger l2cis drawn back untilthe actuating knob l2dmeets the end portion 22bof the stop member 22, asshown in FIG. 48. At this point the predetermined amount of liquid hasbeen drawn into the barrel of the syringe 12. The stop member 22 maythen be turned so that its end portion 22bis out of the way, as shown inF [(3. 4C, and the syringe is then ready for the injection to be made.

It will be appreciated that once a desired setting is established forthe stop member 22, the assembly may be used over and over again,without the need for any further setting. In each instance, exactly theproper dosage is drawn into the barrel of the syringe 12 for theinjection.

The invention provides, therefore, an improved, inexpensive and sturdyguide which has utility for supporting a hypoden'nic syringe and bottlein proper relationship, so that the hypodermic needle associated withthe syringe may be easily and expeditiously inserted into the bottle.Moreover, the improved guide of the present invention may be constructedto incorporate an adjustable stop member, so that a predetermined dosagemay be drawn into the syringe in a simple and convenient manner.

lclaim:

l. A guide for use with a hypodermic syringes, said syringe having abarrel and a needle extending from one end of said barrel and a plungerwith a displaceable actuating knob extending out the other end of saidbarrel, the barrel of said syringe having a peripheral flange formed atsaid other end, said guide serving to limit the displacement of saidplunger from said barrel, and comprising: a resilient body member havinga U-shaped portion configured to extend around the syringe, saidU-shaped portion having means providing a transverse slot to receive theaforesaid flange of said barrel rigidly yet releasably to hold saidsyringe, said body member having another portion having means providinga bore extending in parallel spaced relationship with the longitudinalaxis of the syringe; an elongated rod like adjustable stop memberslidably received in said bore means and extending beyond the other endof the barrel in spaced parallel relationship with the axis of saidsyringe said stop member having a transversely extending end portionpositioned to extend across the path of said actuating knob so as toengage said actuating knob at a selected displacement from said plungerout from said barrel thereby to limit the displacement of said plungerout from said barrel, and being rotatable in said bore means to turnsaid end portion away from said actuating knob to permit free actuationthereof.

2. The guide defined in claim 1 in which said stop member includes aseries of peripheral grooves extending therealong at spaced positionsand adapted to engage a peripheral rim in the bore of said body portionin a resilient manner so as to permit the stop member to be set in stepsto a selected longitudinal position.

3. The guide defined in claim 1 and which includes a set screw extendingthrough said body portion and into said bore adjustably to lock saidstop member at any selected setting.

1. A guide for use with a hypodermic syringes, said syringe having abarrel and a needle extending from one end of said barrel and a plungerwith a displaceable actuating knob extending out the other end of saidbarrel, the barrel of said syringe having a peripheral flange formed atsaid other end, said guide serving to limit the displacement of saidplunger from said barrel, and comprising: a resilient body member havinga U-shaped portion configured to extend around the syringe, saidU-shaped portion having means providing a transverse slot to receive theaforesaid flange of said barrel rigidly yet releasably to hold saidsyringe, sAid body member having another portion having means providinga bore extending in parallel spaced relationship with the longitudinalaxis of the syringe; an elongated rod like adjustable stop memberslidably received in said bore means and extending beyond the other endof the barrel in spaced parallel relationship with the axis of saidsyringe , said stop member having a transversely extending end portionpositioned to extend across the path of said actuating knob so as toengage said actuating knob at a selected displacement from said plungerout from said barrel thereby to limit the displacement of said plungerout from said barrel, and being rotatable in said bore means to turnsaid end portion away from said actuating knob to permit free actuationthereof.
 2. The guide defined in claim 1 in which said stop memberincludes a series of peripheral grooves extending therealong at spacedpositions , and adapted to engage a peripheral rim in the bore of saidbody portion in a resilient manner so as to permit the stop member to beset in steps to a selected longitudinal position.
 3. The guide definedin claim 1 and which includes a set screw extending through said bodyportion and into said bore adjustably to lock said stop member at anyselected setting.